Our community mourns the brutal murder this past Sunday of Rabbi Zvi Kogan (z”l), a Chabad emissary in the United Arab Emirates. He was just 28 years old. Our thoughts and prayers go out to his wife, Rivky, and his entire family. May his memory be for a blessing and the perpetrators brought to justice.

Every morning when we wake, our tradition teaches us that the first words we say are Modeh ani – I give thanks.

Modeh ani for my beautiful family.

(Today is my 30th wedding anniversary!)

Modeh ani for the volunteers and professionals

I work with on a daily basis.

Modeh ani for your dedication to our Jewish community.

Modeh ani for your support, trust, and partnership

during moments of trauma and moments of joy.

Modeh ani for your involvement, engagement, and generosity.  

Modeh ani for the work we do together that

inspires and strengthens us all.

Thanksgiving is a time for us to express gratitude. The Talmud teaches us, “A person must bless God for the bad just as they bless God for the good.” We are encouraged to cultivate a heart of gratitude, even in challenging times, recognizing that blessings can emerge from adversity.

At this time, our hearts are filled with mixed emotions -- appreciation for the good things in our lives, optimistic about the ceasefire between Hezbollah and Israel (details here), concern for the ongoing war between Hamas and Israel, deep yearning for the safe return of the hostages, and our personal hopes for our country and community.

During this holiday time, gathered with family and friends, I hope you will take time to pause, to reflect, and to renew your commitment to others and our shared values. Be thankful for the special blessings in your life while thinking of those who may be struggling.

Every year I like to share a few fun facts about Thanksgiving:

• A baby turkey is called a poult.

• NFL football games were first played on Thanksgiving in 1920. And, the Detroit Lions have played every year since 1934, except during WWII.

• Turkeys can run up to 25 mph -- almost as fast as Jamaican gold medalist sprinter, Usain Bolt.

• Female turkeys "cackle" and male turkeys "gobble."

• According to the Guinness Book of World Records, the world's largest pumpkin pie was made by New Bremen Giant Pumpkin Growers in Ohio on September 25, 2010. The pie weighed 3,699 pounds and was 20 feet in diameter. It was made with 197 cans of pumpkin, over 2,400 eggs, 100 gallons of evaporated milk, 525 pounds of sugar, three pounds of pumpkin pie spice, seven pounds of salt, and 12.4 pounds of cinnamon.

• Minnesota is the turkey capital of the United States, raising 40-42 million birds a year.

• The largest turkey on record weighed 86 pounds (about the size of a 12-year-old child).

• A frigid bout of cold weather in the middle of October led to the Connecticut River freezing, so settlers in Colchester, Connecticut could not get molasses, or liquid sugar, shipped on time from across the pond. Thus, the townspeople decided to postpone the Thanksgiving holiday for a week in 1705 because they could not make pumpkin pie -- yep, all about the pie. It was so legendary, Rose Mill Powers actually wrote a poem about it in a July 1908 issue of Good Housekeeping.

• The first Thanksgiving meal in space was eaten by American astronauts in 1973 aboard the Skylab space station. Their meal included irradiated turkey, shrimp cocktail, and cranberry sauce.

• Norfolk Island, Australia, with its 2,000 inhabitants, celebrates Thanksgiving. The tradition started when American whaling ships would make frequent stops on the island during the late 1800s.

• Orlando, Florida is the number one destination in America for Thanksgiving.

• Presidents originally had to declare Thanksgiving a holiday every year up until President Lincoln made it a national holiday during his tenure. The only president who did not? Thomas Jefferson. He refused to recognize the holiday because he believed so firmly in the separation of church and state. Since Thanksgiving involved prayer and reflection, he thought designating it as a national holiday would violate the First Amendment. He also thought it was better suited as a state holiday, not a federal one.

• Many people conclude Thanksgiving dinner by snapping the wish bone, with good luck being bestowed on the person with the bigger piece. This practice traces back to the ancient Etruscans (an ancient civilization in Etruria, which is now Tuscany, Italy). They would dry their wishbones in the sun and keep them as good luck charms.

Have a safe and peaceful Thanksgiving holiday with your family and friends, be grateful for all you have, and early wishes for a Shabbat shalom.